Tuesday, April 29, 2008

On shopping (and how it relates to my weekend.)

Preface: I try not to complain. I consider myself a positive person, though there are times where I can't keep anything in and I need a serious vent session (thank you, Jesse, Curbside for being my sounding boards...) That said...

There are certain types of shoppers. I've evolved into a frugal type. I only shop when I have a reason to and I know the basics of what I want. It sometimes takes a few minutes for me to pro/con something in the store, but once I've made it, I love what I'm getting. However, this usually happens 5% of the time I go shopping, as my biggest con ("too much money") overrides my need to have the object. I tend to come home empty-handed.

Also, I despise shopping in New York. When I moved here, I thought I'd love it. I mean, I would make trips growing up to New York just to shop. However, the only times I can shop now are after work and on weekends - as in, the only time everybody else can and touristville. I have nightmares about the crowds! People are rude! I get rude! I simply cannot deal.

This weekend's dalliances in shopping adventure both upheld and swayed my belief system on shopping.

I try not to inject too much of the wedding plans or details here - I like to keep things like that private, and I have a separate forum for that which is only accessible to those in the wedding and family members. We're planning for next year (we have a date) and have many of the details set cause we're nerds.

I also have a dress in mind. It's one of the only ones I saw online that I liked (um, why is everything strapless?). The designer was available in only one store in New York, which happened to be in Long Island. We called a few weeks ago to ask if the dress I wanted was available, would be available to see in person. It would be on April 26th - Saturday. So, my mother got a train ticket, and on Saturday morning, we got on the LIRR along with Kelly and Jiscilla to "Beautiful Bride" in Lynbrook. I was a bit skeptical about the place, but I have a lot of time, and what's the hurt of going out to Long Island if it has a dress that could very possibly be the one I want? We were up bright and early and happy for the trip. It would be my first time ever trying on a wedding dress!

And now: I'm blacklisting "Beautiful Bride." Here, and probably on any bridal salon reviewing sites (are there any?? ha.) and places like TheKnot.com. Worst. Experience. Ever.

First, they didn't have the dress. "Oh, that dress was here last weekend." Kelly (my amazing fakey-but-not wedding planner) had called TWICE to make sure it would be there that day...she's thorough. It was their mistake. I decided it wasn't the end of the world, but I was disappointed as we'd been talking about it for weeks and staring eyes-glazed at its picture on my computer. I remained tight-lipped but agreed to try on other dresses.

Second, everything is fucking strapless. This is just me - there are gorgeous strapless wedding dresses, and brides who look gorgeous in them, but it's just not my style.

Third, I was getting asked questions left and right by the clerks as to my style and they SHOT IT DOWN. Everything. They kept on dismissing the dress I had picked out - "Oh, it's too nightgown-like. It doesn't show off your great figure. It's lace is too soft (me: YEAH!!! EXACTLY!!!!). It's not the right season. Or time of day."

Fourth, Me (trying on a strapless dress): "See, I can't deal with boning. I don't like that." Clerk: "Well, that dress you wanted basically has boning." No. It doesn't.

Fifth, with that strapless dress on, feeling uncomfortable, the nasally-voice clerk goes, "This is your first time trying on weddin' dresses, why don't you smile a little!" STABBY. I FEEL STABBY.

Sixth, they didn't ask my price range. I ended up trying a beautiful dress (non-strapless), but when I looked at the price tag, I felt the air go out of me. (Kelly, the only one who's done this before and has a contact at Kleinfeld's because of her media job, said this was completely unprofessional.)

Seventh, at no time did anybody apologize for telling us the dress would be there on the 26th.

Like I said before: when I go out to shop, I know what I want. I don't peruse. I'm just not that kind of shopper. I went to the store with the expectation of checking it out - even if I ended up not liking it. I like the dress I had come for EVEN MORE now that they kept trying to talk me out of it. It may not be the dress I end up walking down the aisle in, but holy crap, I just want to take a picture of me in it in another salon and mail it to them with a "thanks for the worst bridal salon experience ever, here's me in the dress I wanted and here's the amount of money I'm throwing towards these clerks, losers."

This isn't a bridezilla post. This is a bad service post. If I had been looking for a freakin' prom dress I would have been just as offended. I don't care that I don't have a dress or anything - I care that "Beautiful Bride" is a bullshit salon.

GARRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!

End. See? I was a little worked up the other night. And venting to my mother, Curbside, and Jesse didn't even work. This has been a therapeutic writing session. Because right after I wrote it, I felt calm. I didn't even have to post it. Just the fact that I wrote it made me feel better. But I thought I'd share, cause I already mentioned it, and I'm not a withholder.

Moving on to the positive! The rest of Saturday was wonderful: all of us girls went out to brunch and then we went to a pet store to look at kittens and then we saw Baby Mama (highly recommend it) and then my mother and I went to Macy's, because she'd never been to the NYC landmark (I got a pair of shoes!). The day took its toll on us, though, and we headed home to collapse on the couch for tv.

On Sunday, I dropped my mom off at Grand Central and - I think I defeated my shopping rut! It'd been going on months where I would shop and come home empty-handed. I don't know why. After taking in an afternoon showing of Forgetting Sarah Marshall (funny, but Baby Mama was funnier in my opinion), I went to H&M and bought some work clothes, I went to TJ Maxx and bought two pairs of shoes, and I went to Bed Bath & Beyond and bought a table and lamp. Then I carried all that home via the subway. This, my non-New York friends, was quite a journey.

My new dancin' shoes.

And I'll end here, as the length of this post is probably way out of proportion with your interest in it.

14 comments:

  1. Oh my god, as someone who works in retail - that's absolutely ridiculous they treated you like that. If anything their job is to accommodate YOU. Gross to the max.

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  2. I don't think this story is being Bridezilla AT ALL. Like you said, just shitty service. I would do everything in my power NOT to go back to that place, if possible!

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  3. That is simply disgusting. They should never treat anybody like that, I've worked in retail and I'd have had my ass fired for that kind of behaviour.
    Is their some kind of consumer affairs where you can complain. Or at least write into sites like theknot.com and let others know.
    Stuff them, bad manners deserves a bad reputation.

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  4. first, i have to agree about the strapless thing - i look through TONS of wedding mags/sites for my job, and the dresses are like 95% of the time strapless! I don't want a strapless dress either, if i ever get married (lol)

    Second, that is atrocious service!! you should review them on all the wedding sites and tell ppl NOT to go there. haha

    Third, I LOVE your shoes!!!

    That's all. :)

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  5. You would think that people selling dresses, especially for special occasions, would be more conscientious of the customers wants instead of their own! Definitely not a bridezilla post.

    Love your new shoes :)

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  6. omg I would have said something to them! How unprofessional! And how rude that they never even apologized! I hate them!

    I LOVE your shoes!!!! Super cute!

    I have been in a serious shopping rut ever since I bought my condo last year... and I NEED stuff! I need new pants, and black sandals, and hair elastics, and a dress for Rawan's bro's wedding! And I have none of that! Must make myself shop!

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  7. jessica, i just wanted to tell you that i havent started reading this yet. but i like your blog so much, that I am ACTUALLY going to read all that.

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  8. michelle - that's what i'm saying! i mean, i felt small as they talked down to me.

    renee - yep, never going back!

    toni-marie - yeah, when i have the time they're going down on the internets!

    jess - i don't get the strapless thing. it's like a special day, sure, but i get antsy when i wear a tube top in real life so i RARELY do it (a LAMB tube top came out, so i wore that ha!). i just...i want something different and strapless and poofy just isn't my style.

    polynesian princess - thanks! yeah, they were looking for a sale for commission i'm guessing, but handling it completely unprofessionally.

    sabrina - totally rude. but it's over, thank goodness! kelly's getting me an appt at kleinfelds! and i hate shopping ruts! i don't know why it happens! boo.

    sean - HAHAHA AMAZING. i really laughed out loud at that one at work today.

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  9. That is horrible treatment, I hate such staff. I worked in retail when I was in school and know how service and treating customers is important. Im sorry your first experience was like that, it will get better. beisdes they dont deserve you when they treat you so bad...
    Im like you too, when I go shopping I know what I want.

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  10. Whoa. That's awful. I would have said something. But I'm the kind of person who says stuff. Not nice stuff. Example: Yesterday Josh and I went to pick up Grand Theft Auto 4, which he had pre-ordered and paid for IN FULL on the 15th. So we get to Circuit City around...2ish, because he took the afternoon off to play it (yes, we're both geeks), and they're like "oh, they only sent us one pre-order copy, and we sold out already." Uhm. Isn't the point of a pre-order for THEM to order it FOR US, so we don't have to get there early and fight the crowd? And then they're like "We should get another shipment in tomorrow, do you want us to hold one for you?" No. I want the copy I ALREADY PAID YOU FOR TODAY. We ended up getting a refund and driving to Round Rock where much nicer people held one for us while we drove all the way up there. Ugh. OMG.

    Sorry. I didn't mean to get all ranty on your blog. But useless people frustrate me.

    Anyways. I really hope you find your dress and get to try it on. :)
    Glad you had fun with your mom despite the morons. ;P

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  11. ok, many hours later. i read it.

    that blows dude, but when you started talking about brunch, all i could think about was going to the OG this weekend. that made me smile. glad me comment got your stomach a crakin with the laughter!

    if i ever get a girlfriend, and we hangout long enough to get married, i won't go to that place.

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  12. chele - yeah! totally don't deserve me! ha

    amanda jo - WOW! people suck. i hate people. grrrrr. i get so angry about stuff like that: do. your. job.

    sean - OG! Saturday! STOKED! LOL @ your last sentence....another legit laugh

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  13. i also dont like strapless.
    i like cap sleeved A-line.
    i've found my perfect dress and it is exactly what i want.
    none of that poofy mess

    check out: www.nicolemiller.com
    she has some really lovely stuff that is super simple

    also

    http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/package/0,21861,1700952-1696454,00.html

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  14. emily! into it. i've looked at nicole miller. i like it. thanks for the links. i'm gonna email you my dress :)

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